The next destination loomed ahead: Wyvern’s Graveyard.
This a cursed expanse of jagged peaks and crimson skies, where the bones of fallen beasts littered the cliffs like the remnants of an ancient battlefield. It was a forbidden land, feared even by advanced summoners.
Too many had died chasing power among the wild wyverns. Those winged monsters didn’t obey reason or contract.
They only obeyed instinct—and it was to kill and eat.
Hence the name: Graveyard.
But for Igaris, it was opportunity.
Before departure, he stood beneath the shadow of the craggy ridge where his forces had gathered.
The Mountain King stepped forward and knelt.
"These Earth Golems have served me loyally for years. Now they will serve you, Master."
One by one, the hulking constructs, each twice the size of a man and brimming with raw elemental force, knelt in unison before Igaris.
He nodded and began Acquiring them one by one. Sometimes in groups of 2 or 3.
[ Acquisition: Earth Golem (x156) Successful ]
A ripple of system notifications danced in the corner of his vision.
Total Earth Golems: 214
His Acquisition Army had now become a true force of nature. Not just creatures, but a legion.
With a silent command, he dismissed them into the pocket space granted by his ability.
Only his core team remained by his side now: Evernight, her eyes glittering like polished Violet; Malthius, the calculating Undead Commander draped in dark robe; and the newly loyal Mountain King, armored in stone and reverence.
The wind howled as they stepped into the wilderness beyond.
Each footfall from Igaris now left small tremors in the ground, not from brute strength alone, but from the sheer pressure of his rising power. His magic was denser, more volatile. Even the land seemed to recognize the growing throne he walked upon.
He studied the named map in his hand—"Astrya". It shimmered with threads of light, drawing a path toward a forgotten canyon of dragons.
The Wyvern Graveyard.
"Soon, even the skies will kneel," he whispered, voice quiet but unshakable."
Behind him, Mountain King merely lowered his head in obedience, muttering: "The earth will remember your footsteps, My Master."
As they vanished into the stormy horizon, the air behind them twisted and howled.
And the Graveyard would soon live up to its name—not for Igaris, but for whatever dared to stand in his way.
As they left, the battlefield still radiated the echo of power.
Cracks spidered across the land. Massive gouges, craters, and crushed stones littered the terrain. The once-proud territory of Earth Golems now resembled a shattered monument. The smell of scorched earth lingered in the air, mixing with faint traces of dark magic and burned feathers.
A small group stepped into the rocky ruins.
Led by a robed Summoner from the Freedom Force, the instructor halted the young trainees with a raised hand, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.
"What... happened here?" the instructor muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
The three Novices flanking him spread out cautiously, eyes wide with awe and disbelief.
"Were those... Golem cores?" Nagi bent down, brushing dust from a broken crystalline shard. "This place was full of Earth Elementals."
"Why are they all... gone?" Barefoot asked.
Osama didn’t answer. His mouth was dry. His chest tight.
This was supposed to be his chance.
His affinity aligned with Earth. Unlike Nagi and Barefoot, who had already bonded with their respective beasts—a Fire Crow and a Water Serpent—Osama had come here hoping for an Earth-type guardian to call his own.
But all that remained now were crushed stones and hollow silence.
The instructor stepped forward, examining a deep trench where the ground had split like a fault line.
"These markings," he said slowly, "they weren’t made by ordinary Summoners. Something powerful passed through here... recently."
Nagi whispered low. "You think it was a battle?"
Barefoot nodded. "More like a massacre."
Osama didn’t speak. His feet moved automatically, eyes scanning desperately for signs of life. A flicker. A pulse. A buried gem—anything. But it was all dead.
He clenched his fists.
"Why... why did this have to happen right before we got here?"
Barefoot smirked but kept it subtle. "Maybe there’s still an Earth Worm nearby."
"Shut it," Osama snapped.
But the sting landed. He could feel the snickers just behind their silence.
"Enough," the instructor said sharply. "Whatever caused this, you’re not ready to face it. Not yet. We’ll mark this area for future investigation, but we’re leaving. Now."
Osama remained still for a moment, fists trembling.
"Come on, Osama," Nagi called. "Maybe you’ll find a Rock Lizard next time."
They laughed quietly.
Instead, he bent down and picked up a chunk of broken golem core which faintly pulsed like a dying heartbeat.
"Whoever did this..."
He looked up at the horizon.
"May the heaven smite you."
Dark clouds loomed above the jagged cliffs as winds howled like the cries of ancient beasts.
The land was scarred.
Cracked bones of long-dead wyverns sprouted from the earth like the spines of forgotten gods. Their ribcages, some larger than houses, were now nests for scavengers and spirits alike. Mountains of skeletal remains formed valleys of death, and every gust carried the stench of burned scales and lingering hostility.
Igaris stood at the edge of this cursed terrain.
Beside him, Evernight floated in silence, her robe trailing behind her like smoke. The Mountain King stepped with caution, his heavy frame vibrating the bones below. Malthius, ever shadowed, whispered old wyvern names as if reciting ancient rites.
Igaris scanned the desolation before him.
"This is it," he muttered.
The Wyvern Graveyard.
A place where Summoners came to tame powerful beasts... and perished for their arrogance and greed. It was said that the wyverns here had once served the Dragon Monarchs of the old age, and even in death, their vengeful aura repelled the unworthy.
But Igaris was no ordinary Summoner.
He had come not just to claim power—but to dominate it.
"This land reeks of death. Even the wind remembers battles," Evernight said, her violet eyes glowing faintly."